The Adventures of Jack Thunder
by Jack Thunder
Summary: Jack Thunder suffers a traumatic life changing experience that sends him on a long trail of adventures. He makes a new friend along the way and together they hunt down the man who killed his parents. Please read and review.
1. Prologue

_A/N:_

_ This is not my best work. this was something i did just to get down ideas in case i decided to write a story. I eventually got around to writing the story about a month later and it is way better than the prologue. The chapters may be a little short compared to what most of you are used to reading, but they are still very good and almost each one has a cliffhanger. Please read and review. this is my first story and I want to know how I am doing._

Prologue:

"What should we call him?"

"How about John?"

"John is too common. How about Jack?"

"Fine with me. I like Jack."

"Want to hold him, Jim?"

The fox held out his arms to take his newborn son. He looked down at him, asleep in his father's arms. His fur was dark red and his left paw was white like his mothers and his right paw was black like his father's. It was his eyes that stood out; so green that they seemed to glow.

"He has your eyes." Jim said to his wife.

"And he has your looks," replied Julie with a slight chuckle.

Jim looked down at his son again and smiled. "I'll go get Alec; he'll want to see his little brother." He handed Jack back to Julie and left the room. He returned moments later with a gray furred fox that could only be no more than four. The little fox looked curiously at the small bundle in his mother's arms.

"Alec, say hello to Jack Thunder; your new baby brother."

_Sixteen years later…_

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

"Are we there now?"

"Jack, we know you can't wait to see Alec's football game, but were still an hour away from the stadium." Jim said. He looked at the fuel cell gauge. "We need to stop for gas." He pulled into a fuel station on the edge of the college campus that Alec lived on.

"If you need the bathroom, you should go now," Julie said to her son as they all got out of the car and went into the station.

"When you're done Jack, we'll be in the car," Jim said. He and his wife turned and left the station. About a minute later, Jack came out and saw them getting into the car. It happened as though it were in slow motion; as soon as his dad closed his door, the car exploded in a ball of fire. Jack hit the dirt as his military training, which he had learned from his parents who were both in the Cornerian Military, kicked in. He looked up slowly and stared at the twisted wreck of what was once the car he was in only moments ago. He knew he had to move. It was only a matter of time before the whole station would catch fire and blow up. Some part of his mind screamed to stay and try to help his parents, but he knew it was too late for them.

He ran about a hundred yards when there was a deafening boom behind him and then he was knocked flat by the resulting shock wave. He lay there and began to cry. He knew that he was safe, but he wished that it were the same for his parents. He did not stop crying until he heard the sirens from the fire trucks.

_Two days later…_

"Are you Jack Thunder?" asked a large, black lab.

"Yes."

"Gary Cooper, Chief of Campus Police. We have information for you that you might want to hear concerning the deaths of your parents."

"What do you have?"

"First, I want to extend my condolences for the loss of your parents," Cooper said. "Second, we got a fax from Cornerian Forensics; it was not an accident. Your parents were killed by a car bomb. I'm sorry." He walked away and left Jack alone, wondering who would do such a thing and why.

_Several years later…_

It was two days until the start of his last year at the Academy. Jack put on his sunglasses, grabbed his keys, and left the Army and Navy Surplus Store where he worked. He got into his car and headed home. He would need to spend the next few days packing and getting ready. He would also need to call someone to take care of the house while he was gone. Alec seemed to be too busy lately and would no longer talk to him for some reason.

Suddenly he saw black smoke in the distance. He knew that it was a fire and sped up hoping that it would not turn out to be what he feared. Pulling around the corner he saw that his house, the last thing his parents had left him, burning out of control. He quickly called the fire department, then noticed a note taped to the front gate with his name on it:

_Mom and dad were only the beginning and should have been the end. You should have died with them, so now you're next. I'm coming after you Jack. I will find you and when I do, I'm going to kill you slowly. You're wondering why I would want to do this. Because mom and dad always liked you more. They always blamed me when something bad happened to you. They always gave you what I wanted. You had the life I deserved. The life I would have had if you never existed. So I decided to fix the problem. Good bye Jack._

_-Alec_

All these years. All this time he had been with the man who had killed his parents and been plotting his death. Now he gets blamed for everything. This was the final straw. He hopped back into his car. He knew he could not go back to the Academy just yet. He would have to lay low for a while. He still had money in the bank and good friends to rely on. He wished that the Star Fox team was still around. He would have hired them to help him find his brother. They never failed a mission. For now, he had to get out of the open. He then realized that if he stayed with his friends, his brother would surely find him and he would be putting his friends in danger. He was on his own again, just like before. He had to stop his brother before anyone else was hurt.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

General Bill Grey looked out the window of his new office. The capitol of Corneria had started an era of reconstruction. The city had been flattened when a nuclear missile had hit the it's center earlier in the year. The light grey colored husky mix remembered what it was like; the sky was red and everything was on fire. A giant mushroom could be seen for days.

The first buildings to be reconstructed were the main office and military buildings, located at the dead center of ground zero. Radiation was still a problem, however a small one. The new buildings had radiation scrubs to keep the air clean. No one was allowed outside for more than thirty minutes unless they had the proper gear. The problem was getting the gear. Because nuclear power had been a banned science for so long, the proper gear was hard to find, and expensive. The city had already lost four shipments to space pirates, so it was time he got some help.

Normally, he would get the Star Fox team to help him. The team had recently reformed, but the new leader, Fox and Krystal McCloud's son, Marcus McCloud, had re-enrolled at the Cornerian Academy in order to finish his senior year. That started in two weeks, and he was taking needed time off.

Fortunately his problem was solved when a young man confronted him on the matter. He said that he would be able to help with getting more supplies and seeing that it got to Corneria safely; Bill had immediately set up an appointment to meet with him.

There was a buzzing noise from his desk followed by a female voice. "Jack Thunder is here to see you, sir," the secretary said. Bill pushed a button on the intercom: "Send him in."

A fox entered the room. He had dark red fur all over his body except the tip of his tail and the fur on his head which were white. Bill realized his left paw was completely black as oppose to the right which was completely white. He had a holster for what appeared to be a special ops blaster on his right hip, wore desert camo pants, a green shirt, a tan combat vest, and black sunglasses.

Jack Thunder shook hands with Bill before he sat down and folded his hands in his lap. Bill followed suit. "So," he started. "You think you can help us get the supplies we need?"

"Yes, I can." Jack replied. "I heard that you were having problems with space pirates intercepting cargo on its way from Katina. Where is it likely getting lost?"

Bill pulled up a map on the computer screen on his desk. "In this general area," he said, pointing to a section of Meteo, the systems asteroid field.

Jack took off his sunglasses and leaned towards the map for a better view. "I recognize the area," he said, looking from the map to Bill. Bill now noticed that his eyes were both a dark shade of green. "I can easily fly in and take them by surprise. Do you have any spare ships available?"

"The _CSS Omega_ is fully loaded and ready for departure," replied Bill. "We were originally going to send her out to cover the shipment before you showed up."

"Good. Have her stationed here one hour before the next shipment is due to come through," Jack said, zooming into the area and pointing behind a rather large asteroid. "If she's close enough, the pirates will think that she is part of the asteroid and won't bother to investigate. I will come in from here," he continued, pointing to an area opposite the large asteroid.

"That's in the middle of the open! Wont they see you there?" asked Bill.

"No," replied Jack. "I will have a little surprise for them when they get there. When the shipment arrives, the pirates will first fire ion torpedoes at the ship to lower it's shields rapidly. Then they will move in and take out the engines. That's where I come in. I will intercept them and keep them at bay while the shipment heads towards the asteroid your ship will be hiding behind. When the pirates see it leaving, they will send their carrier after it to pick it up."

"Then we come out and launch a surprise attack against it," said Bill, starting to catch on. "But I still don't see how you will be able to take on a whole squadron of pirates by yourself."

"Well," Jack said with a slight smile on his face, "I own a custom built Arwing III, the fastest model available. It has a polarized hull made of refined Triniquada."

"Isn't that the new mineral they discovered about a year or so ago?" asked Bill.

"Yes it is."Jack answered. "There are four types of Triniquada: Refined, Type I, Type II, and Type III. The Type I is used to power my ships engines, shields, and systems. The Type II is used for the twin lasers. It uses the energy given off by the Type II to make the lasers it shoots twice as powerful as the leading plasma type lasers. The Type III is weapons grade Triniquada. I use it on my Nova Bombs and, only if I have to, the lasers."

"Why not just get rid of the Type II and use the Type III for the lasers as well?" asked Bill.

"Type III is extremely powerful."Jack responded casually. "There is currently no type of laser cannon or cooling system small enough for a standalone fighter. However, a Dreadnaught Class Cruiser could be outfitted with such a mechanism. The down side is that all of this is extremely expensive."

"That brings me to my next question," said Bill. "If this mineral is so expensive, how is it that you get so much?"

"Well," said Jack, his smile widening. "My childhood friend that I grew up with owns the company that discovered the mineral. He owed me a big favor for saving his life during a mining 

accident five years ago that claimed the lives of four of his best workers. He insisted that he give me as much as I needed, free of charge."

Bill cleared his throat. "My final question is how do you plan on being out in the open and not being seen by the pirates?"

"Ah," said Jack and he leaned back in his chair with his paws behind his head. "That is going to be a surprise."

Bill opened a desk drawer and pulled out some papers. "Well, that is quite some story. Now then, by signing these forms you agree to be hired as a mercenary to help the Cornerian government. You will need your Mercenary License Number and Personal ID" he said, handing the papers to Jack.

Jack took the time to fill out the papers and handed them back to the general. "It's been a pleasure talking with you General Grey. I'm glad we could work something out," Jack said as he rose to his feet and put his sunglasses and gloves back on.

"Please call me Bill," said Bill in return as he stood to shake Jack's paw. "I was retired; they wanted me back. To me, Bill is just fine."

"Before I leave," Jack said. "There is one thing I would like before I start my job."

"What would that be?"

"I want a permanent Weapons Permit so that I can carry my blaster with me anywhere I'd like."

Bill looked surprised. "Why is that?"

"For my own protection," replied Jack seriously.

"You sound as though someone wants you dead," Bill said as he opened another drawer and took out a single sheet of paper.

"Someone does want me dead." Jack answered.

"Fill out this form and give it to the secretary. You will be given the permit along with your gun once you leave the building," Bill said as he handed the file to Jack. "If you don't mind me asking, who would want to kill you?" he asked as Jack took the form and headed towards the door.

Jack turned to face Bill. He had a look so serious that Bill knew it was no joke when he said, "My older brother, Alec Thunder."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Jack Walked across the hanger bay and towards his Arwing III. After leaving the meeting with Bill, he had been thinking about his past. He had turned twenty four last week, so it had been eight years since his parent's deaths. His anger toward his older brother Alec returned. He knew he was out there, buying his time, waiting for Jack to screw up.

He pushed aside these thoughts as he reached his craft. It was painted the standard colors of a grayish white hull with blue engines. The port wing had a decal that said JT on the top and bottom of the wing. The starboard had two crossed lightning bolts behind Thor's Hammer, the nickname for his fighter.

He decided to head out into space and practice some maneuvers before going home. He purchased some drones at the supply depot, then piloted out of the hanger bay towards the atmosphere. Once he reached space, he headed towards an open section of space, and released some of the drones which started to fly around him. He practiced u-turns, immelmann turns, split S maneuvers, and barrel rolls. He even locked onto targets while performing the barrel rolls, an extremely difficult maneuver. He destroyed the drones in just a few minutes, then headed back to Corneria, thinking about the upcoming mission.

_Two days later…_

"Where the hell is he?" asked Captain Hank Felser, a black jaguar who was in charge of the CSS Omega. "He should be here by now."

"Relax Hank," came Bills calm voice. "He'll show up."

Captain Felser turned to face the Husky. "With all due respect sir, I believe you made a poor decision."

"Care to explain why?"

"If I was given the choice, I would have chosen someone more responsible. Maybe even a team of mercenaries instead of just one kid."

"Then why don't you show some responsibility, and maintain radio silence, Captain," came a voice over the ships speakers.

Captain Felser pushed a button on the communications panel. "Where the hell have you been Mr. Thunder?"

"I believe, sir that I've been in front of you the whole time. I noticed that you were not here when you should have been, so I maintained radio silence. When you finally showed up, I was going to contact you. But seeing as the pirates could also show up at any minute, I decided against it. But you had your radio on and have been blabbing the whole time. Now please, do us all a favor, and just shut up." Jack paused, listening to the sound of laughter coming from the bridge. He thought he heard Bill say something along the lines of agreement. A beeping noise from one of his displays caught his attention. "My long range scanners are picking up the transport. Wait for my signal." Jack closed the channel.

Sure enough, the transport dropped out of subspace at the edge of the belt. Jack double checked to make sure his cloaking unit and stealth mode were activated. Then he turned his attention back to the shuttle, which had just entered the belt.

Suddenly, he saw ten dark objects streak out from behind a meteor. Four blue lights raced from two of them and headed for the transport. The shields on the transport flickered and died, as the ion torpedoes hit. The ship immediately turned away from the attackers and headed for a large asteroid, which the Omega was located behind. Two more ion torpedoes were launched, this time disabling the engines. That was Jacks cue.

The Thor's Hammer raced from its hiding spot behind a meteor and headed for the transport. Once within range, Jack locked onto the first fighter and fired. It exploded into flames, and the shrapnel from it tore the wing off of the fighter next to it. This sent it spinning into an asteroid, where it exploded into a ball of fire.

The remaining eight fighters turned to see what happened. Once they got close enough, Jack launched a nova bomb at the group. To the pirates, the bomb came out of thin air. It exploded with ten times the force of a normal one because of the Type III Triniquada. The initial blast decimated six of the fighters and the shockwave disabled a seventh. The eighth one was able to veer away in time and headed towards a group of asteroids near where the squad had first appeared. Jack opened fire and the lasers ripped it to shreds.

Jack looped back around and headed for the transport. He deactivated his cloaking and turned on his tractor beam. He locked onto the shuttle and pulled it in. Once it was secure, he headed towards the asteroid which the Omega was hiding behind. Sure enough, his sensors showed a Cruiser headed towards him. He opened the communications channel, "CSS Omega, this is Thor's Hammer. Requesting permission to dock."

"Permission granted Thor's Hammer. You are cleared to dock in hanger bay two," came the reply.

"Roger that Omega," Jack said in return. "Thor's Hammer docking in hanger bay two. Tell Captain Felser to put the ship in gear. The pirates have taken the bait."

After he docked, Jack headed up to the bridge. Just as he walked onto it, the Pirates Cruiser was coming into view of the Omega. Lights started to glow along its hull.

"Sir, they're getting ready to fire!" reported a black lab stationed at the weapons station.

"Understood," replied Felser. "Set guns to full power. Let's give it to them!"

The ships opened fire at the same time. Some of the bolts of energy hit in mid air, causing massive explosions between the two ships. The bolts that made it close to their targets dissipated as they hit the shields. Because the Omega was a bigger and more powerful ship than a cruiser, it wasn't long before the pirates shields flared and died. The rounds that followed started hitting the ship. Explosions could be seen running along the cruisers hull. Small, bright flashes appeared as well, as tiny escape pods were jettisoned.

"Shit! I forgot!"Exclaimed Jack, and he rushed off the bridge.

"Damn it! They're getting away!" exclaimed Felser. "We have to go after them."

"Too late," said the navigations officer. "They're already entering subspace." Sure enough, the pods were illuminated as their engines radiated a bright white light and were sucked into subspace. The pirate's cruiser exploded, leaving the Omega by herself once more.

"Well this is just dandy," said Felser, turning towards Bill. "We may have rescued the transport, but now the pirates will come again and again because we don't know where their base of operations is located!"

"This is Thor's Hammer," came Jacks voice over the ships speakers. "Requesting permission to land in hanger bay two. Require heavy security teams to be there when I land."

Bill pressed a button on the communications panel. "This is General Grey. Permission is given to land in hanger bay two, but why the security?"

"Earlier when I launched the nova bomb," Jack began to explain, "the shockwave disabled one of the pirate's fighters. I forgot all about him until I saw the escape pods. So his ship is now attached to the bottom of mine, and I'm sure we'll be able to get some good information out of him."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Jack leaned up against the wall of the CSS Omega. For the past two hours, Captain Felser and General Grey had been interrogating the prisoner. They were still not having any luck, and Jack was getting tired. He knew that despite what the two said, the pirate would not talk.

Bill came through the door across the hall. Jack walked towards him and folded his arms. "Still no luck?"

Bill shook his head. "He refuses to say anything except that we're a bunch of losers."

"Mind if I try?" Jack asked casually.

"Go ahead," replied Bill. "I don't know if you'll do any better than us, though."

Jack un-holstered his blaster and checked the setting. He knew that all blasters these days had two settings. Lethal was the normal setting, and would of course kill. The other setting was stun, which he knew would hurt like a bitch. He flipped the setting to stun, and set the power level to high. He holstered the gun and turned to Bill. "Make sure you get this on tape." Then he entered the room.

Captain Felser was the only person in the room except for the prisoner and a guard. Jack nodded to Felser, who beckoned the guard to follow him out of the room. Once the door closed behind them, Jack took a seat across the table from the pirate. He was a Raccoon, with grey fur and a black striped tail. He looked at Jack through black eyes, and Jack knew what he was thinking.

"I'll save you the trouble of telling me that you won't say anything," Jack told him flat out. "But I will let you know by the time I leave, you will wish you had told the General and the Captain what they wanted to hear." The raccoon still stared at him. "First things first," Jack continued. "You got a name?"

The raccoon said nothing, but continued to glare at Jack.

"Mind if I call you Bob?" Jack asked. There was still no reply. Faster than the raccoon could blink, Jack drew his blaster and fired a shot into his left shoulder. The raccoon screamed in pain. Jack knew that it was just enough force to almost dislocate his arm. "How about an answer when I talk to you?" he said, folding his arms. "Now then, what's your name?"

"Pete Starkfeld," came the reply through gritted teeth.

"There we go Pete! Now that wasn't so bad was it?" said Jack in a happy tone.

"YOU BROKE MY FRIGGIN AR-" Pete started to yell but was cut short when the blaster was aimed at his right arm this time.

"By all means, finish the sentence," said Jack casually. "That is, if you don't mind getting shot again."

Pete didn't say a thing, so Jack lowered his gun again and said, "Good. Now here's how this is going to work. I will ask some questions, and you will answer them truthfully. If you don't answer, then I'll shoot you. If I don't get the answer I want, I'll shoot you. If I think you're lying, I'll shoot you. After that, I will repeat the process until I hear what I want. If you answer correctly, we go to the next question. I'm not a bad person that enjoys seeing others in pain or suffering; I'm just here because I had to come when you didn't talk earlier. So in essence, you brought this on yourself, is that clear?"

Pete glared at him. Jack waited a moment for an answer before hearing a mumbled "Yes".

"Good," Jack said. "Now, first question. What were you and your buddies trying to do earlier in the asteroid field?"

"We were planning on stealing the cargo from the transport ship. They come through regularly, and the cargo they carry is damn expensive on the black market. It would bring us a fortune at the next convention."

"When did you start performing these raids?"

"About a month after the bomb fell."

"Care to tell us where you store the cargo?"

Pete did not answer. Jack gave him a moment, then as quick as he did before, shot him in the left arm again. This time there was a cracking noise as Pete's arm broke. He cursed loudly and his eyes filled with tears.

"I warned you this would happen if you didn't answer." Said Jack in an airy tone. "Now, where do you store the cargo?"

"In…in a base that's built inside a large asteroid." Pete said, trying to keep his voice under control. "It's inside the Meteo asteroid belt."

"Good," said Jack. "Now, one more question. Which asteroid?"

_One hour later…_

"The asteroid station is guarded by several laser turrets," said Jack. He was on the bridge now and was explaining what he had learned from Pete, who was now in the infirmary. "The turrets are attached to smaller asteroids floating around the station. According to Pete, the lasers will fire on any ship that is not broadcasting a special code."

"Did he tell you the code?" Bill asked.

"Yes," replied Jack. "Once we program it into the Omega's computers and all the fighters, we'll be ok. That will leave us free to raid the base and take control. According to Pete, all of the supplies taken so far are still stored on the asteroid, waiting to be transferred to the black market. With your permission, General, I would like to lead a strike team into the base and capture it."

Bill thought this over for a moment, and then said, "The base is pretty well guarded inside. How do you expect to get by security?"

"Already ahead of you on that," said Jack. "There is a service hatch hidden on the top of the asteroid. This hatch leads to the maintenance room, and from there we can enter the ventilation shafts. We will follow them to the control room. Once there, we can bypass security, shutdown the laser defense grid, and lock down the whole station. We will then have total control and can open the doors for Captain Felser to come in and tow us to Corneria, or dock with the station and send in a cleanup crew to round up all the pirates."

"Wait a moment," Felser said. "How do we know he gave us the right code? We could show up and be targeted instantly."

"After I finished interrogating him, I went to his ships computer and hacked the system. I checked the code on the system with the one he gave me and it was a perfect match. So what do you say, Bill?"

Bill thought for a moment, then said, "Get all the men you need. You'll leave in one hour."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Jack looked out the window of the transport ship. It would have been hard to describe what he saw. In subspace, everything moved by so quickly that it looked like a mixture of many different colors blurring by. Because they were only going to the other side of the system, it would take only twenty minutes to reach their destination through sub space. Otherwise, it would take two to three hours traveling at maximum speed.

He turned his gaze from the window and to the Marines he had selected to go with him on this mission. They all looked the same, dressed in black, covert ops uniforms. They were equipped with blasters, rapid fire blasters, radios, C4, laser proof vests, and night vision goggles. Their mission was to enter through the service hatch on the top of the asteroid. To do this, they would have to "jump ship" about half a mile away from the asteroid. They would be too small to be picked up on radar, as oppose to the ship, which would show up as a large red dot on the screen. Once in space, they would use jet packs to thrust them in the direction of the service hatch. They had oxygen tanks with enough oxygen to last an hour, but the trip through space should only take five minutes.

"Ok boys," Jack said as he shouldered his blaster rifle. "In about three minutes, we will be in enemy territory. Once we're about half a mile from the target, we'll jump ship and use jet packs to get to the service hatch. After we get inside inside, I'll explain the rest of the mission. Any questions?"

One of the soldiers stood up and said, "What is our objective, sir?"

"Our objective is to capture the station. The crew is expendable. Make sure your blasters are equipped with silencers. And there is no need to refer to me as sir. I'm a mercenary, not a military officer. Now are you ready marines?"

"HU-AA!" came the shouted reply.

"Alright," Jack said. "Put on your jet packs and your oxygen masks; we're going for a little trip." He strapped on his jet pack and secured his oxygen mask. When he was done, he gave the thumbs-up signal. He waited for everyone to return it, and then pressed a red button on the wall. A red light came on in the cargo hold where they were. When it turned green, he hit the button again and the hatch opened.

"Were doing this one at a time," he said to the Marines. "As you jump out I will assign you a number. I am Red Leader. Let's move!"

As each one of them jumped into space, he named them Red One through Red Five. Once in space, they used their jet packs to maneuver towards the asteroid. About five minutes later, they were 

gathered around the service entrance. Jack entered the code that was given to him by Pete, and the hatch swung open. They all moved inside and closed the hatch behind them. Lights came on and a hissing sound was heard as the cabin was filled with air and pressurized. They removed their oxygen masks and jet packs and opened the door to the maintenance room.

"Red One, Red Two, move up and check the area." Jack said over the helmet mike. Two figures moved through the hatch and down a ladder. A minute later a voice came over Jacks, headset. "Red Leader, this is Red Two, maintenance room is secure, but the ventilation shaft in this room has been welded shut and labeled as condemned. We'll have to take to the halls."

"Roger that Red Two. Squad, move in." The rest of the team moved through the hatch and down the ladder. Jack went through last and closed the hatch behind him. He turned towards the team. "Ok, first things first. We have to hack into the system and gain access to the security. I want it to be shut down completely without them knowing. Red Three, that's your job." Red Three nodded and moved to one of the terminals. "Red Four, you get control of the lights, when I give the signal, I want you to turn them off. Red Five, Get control of the doorway systems. As soon as you do, let me know. Go." Everyone went to work.

"Red Leader, Red Five has control of the doors."

"Red Three has security systems disabled."

"Red Four here, lights are now ours."

"Alright everyone, this is it," said Jack. "As soon as the lights go out, turn on your night vision. Red Two and Red Three, you will stay here and cover the room. We'll need you to operate the doors. The rest of you are with me. Ready?"

Everyone nodded. Jack turned on his night vision goggles and signaled to Red Four. Red Four pushed a button on the keyboard and the lights went out. Emergency lights came on and he pushed another button and the station was in total darkness. "Ok, move out!" said Jack.

The team moved into the hallway. They walked down the hall some until they reached a sign. "We need to go past three intersections and make a right. That should get us to an elevator that will take us straight to the command center," said Red Three, reading the map.

They moved further down the hall until they reached a big metal door with "A-06" painted on it in white. "Open door A-06," Jack said into his mike. The door slid open and the team readied their weapons. On the other side were four pirates, standing around with flashlights. "Red One, take the guy on the left. Red Four, you got the right. Red Five and I have the two in the middle. On my mark."

They each took aim at the pirates. Jack waited for a moment, then said, "Weapons free." There were four quick flashes of red light, followed by the sound of four bodies hitting the floor. "Team Three this is command," said a voice that seemed to be coming from one of the bodies. "We have teams 

sweeping through the base distributing night vision goggles until we get the power back on. Please acknowledge."

"We better hurry," said Jack. "They could be here any minute. Red Two, close door A-06." The door behind them slid shut, and they moved on ahead. Up ahead they came to an intersection. Suddenly a laser flew past them.

"We got intruders on level six, intersection twenty four!" shouted a voice from the direction the laser had come. "We need back up!" More laser fire dashed through the hallways. The team shot back. The enemy's shots were close, which led Jack to suspect that this was one of the teams that had night vision goggles.

"Red Two!" Jack yelled into his mike, firing another volley of laser fire that hit one of the pirates. "We are pinned down at intersection 24 on level six! Close all doors at that section!" a moment later the doors started to close. "Good, now open door A-11. Hurry!" he added, for the door that the pirates were behind had started to open again, however slowly.

The door in front of them began to open suddenly it stopped half way. "Red Two, what's going on?" asked Jack.

"We've been booted out of the system!" came the exasperated reply. "You're on your own if you run into anymore doors. The codes have been changed. I can't get back in."

Jack dropped to his stomach and crawled below the door. The rest of the team followed suit. Suddenly the door started to close. "Hurry!" said Jack. He and another soldier grabbed the last man who was only half way though and pulled, but were too late. The door came down right on top of Red One's right foot. He yelled in pain as there was a loud buzzing noise and the door opened again. "Red Two, Red One has a broken foot; we won't be able to get back to you. Head down to the hanger and secure a transport. We're almost to the control room. We're going to blow this place."

A voice came on the speakers and said, "Please remove your friend's foot, Jack, so I can close the doors. I can't lock you in unless they're closed. How else am I going to kill you?"

Jacks blood turned to ice. He had not heard that voice in years. He had hoped that he would not hear it until the owner was behind bars awaiting trial. It was his older brother, Alec Thunder.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"That's right little bro," continued Alec. "It's me, your older brother. Long time no see. What's up?"

"Alec," Jack said towards the nearest camera. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh you don't know yet?" Alec asked with a hint of surprise in his voice. "I'm the leader of these pirates. I started this operation to get your attention. I knew you couldn't resist trying to save people from radiation sickness by making sure the shipment got through. I told Pete to tell you everything you needed in order to infiltrate the base. I knew you would have to get to the control room and would go through the ventilation shafts. That's why I had it welded shut and marked as condemned. That way you would have to go through the hallways, where I set a trap at the intersection that you're at right now."

Suddenly, the entire station shook violently. "And that would be my cue to leave. If you're thinking about finding me, then you will be wasting your time," said Alec's voice over the speakers. "I'm already on a ship and headed out of the system. The shaking you just felt was the result of the engines cooling system being blown up. I estimate you have fifteen minutes to get your tails out of there before the whole station goes. Adios!"

The station shook again. Jack realized that Alec was right. The insane son of a bitch was going to blow the whole thing. He had to get his team to the hanger bay as soon as possible. "Red Two, this is Red Leader, come in," he said over his helmet, as he and his team began moving down the hallway.

"This is Red Two," came the reply. "What the hell is going on sir?"

"In a nutshell, my insane older brother is trying to kill us. Do you have the ship secure?"

"Yes sir," came Red Two's voice.

"Fire it up and get ready to get us the hell out of here. Red Leader out." Jack said. He stopped at a closed door and hit the control panel to open it. Nothing happened. "Damn it! He seems to think of everything." He looked around and noticed an air vent in the wall. He knew they had to go through this door and then take the elevator straight down to the hanger bay. In theory, the air duct should go there to.

He ran to the vent and pulled the cover off. Then he turned to his team. "Ok, we are going to crawl down this vent until we reach a drop. We will take that drop down to the hanger bay. Everyone got that?"

"Yes sir," the team said in reply. They crawled into the vent one at a time. Jack, who was in the lead, finally came to the drop. Another explosion sounded in the distance and the vent shook violently. 

Jacks ears perked up. He could hear someone screaming in the distance. It was coming from up ahead from the next vent, away from the direction of the hanger. "Red Four, you're in command. Get the rest of the team down the vent and to the transport. If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me."

"Sir, where are you…" but Jack cut him off.

"No time to explain just get going, now!" he yelled and moved over the hole and continued. He heard the screams again and realized that they were just ahead and to the left. He came to another vent and punched it out. He crawled into the room and looked around quickly. He realized that he was in the brig, and in one of the cells was a figure lying on the floor. Jack ran to the door and realized that it was a vixen, and that she had been knocked unconscious by debris falling from the ceiling. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small amount of putty and stuck it to the doors lock. He stuck a pin in it and took cover behind the desk. There was a loud explosion as he clicked the detonator. He ran and scooped up the female fox and exited through the door. To his luck, across the hall was a stair well that led to the hanger bay one floor below. He slung the unconscious vixen over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and kicked the door open. He tore down the stairs, knowing that he did not have much time before the engines went critical.

He reached the bottom of the stairwell and ran through the doorway. He saw his team boarding the transport in the distance. "Red Two, this is Red Leader," he said in his mike. "Start the engines. I'm on the other side of the hanger bay." The engines on the transport in the distance glowed bright and Jack ran. He made it just in time. The doors behind him closed as he yelled, "Red Two, get us the hell out of here!"

The transport lurched forward as they took off. The ship rocked violently as the station behind them exploded. The craft eventually steadied out and Red Two stated that it was all clear. Jack told him to head towards the rendezvous point, then turned his attention back to the fox he rescued. She had the same colored fur he had, with a white tipped tail. Her paws were both white and her hair was just a shade darker than her fur. "Someone get me a med kit."

He bandaged her wound and then took off his jacket and placed it under her head. He hoped she would be alright. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. But the most important thing at the moment was getting her to the hospital.

_Twelve hours later…_

Jack was sitting next to the girl he had rescued earlier. They were now in the hospital and he was even more worried now. When he had dropped her off, he stayed long enough to learn that her name was Jenifer Reynolds. After arriving ten hours ago after leaving his debriefing, he had learned that she was only twenty two years old and was employed on Katina as a transport pilot. According to the records provided by the company she worked for, she had been on the last transport that was captured 

by the pirates. The rest of the crew was still missing, and it was safe to say that they were now, unfortunately, dead. But the thing that really bothered him was what the doctor had said. The hit to her head had placed her in a coma, and there was no telling when she would wake up.

He looked around the room. It was empty except for a television, three chairs and a table, and a door that led to a bathroom. The table had a small bouquet of flowers and a get well card that Jack had brought in. So far, there was nothing else and no sign of other visitors.

Jack had been there for a while and it was getting late. He was just about to leave when he heard a noise come from the bed. He turned quickly and saw that Jenifer was waking up. Relieved, he went to the bed side and pushed the call button to summon the nurse.

"Where am I?" Jenifer asked tiredly, as a white poodle wearing a scrub walked in and began checking her vitals.

"You're in Cornerian General Hospital, Jenifer," Jack said soothingly, holding her paw lightly while the nurse checked her blood pressure. "You've been in a coma for the past twelve hours."

The nurse left and Jenifer looked back at Jack. Her eyes were green, just like his. "You…rescued me?" she asked him.

"Yes, I did." Jack replied, a grin forming on his face.

Jenifer looked at the flowers and asked, "Did you get me these?"

"Yeah," Jack said, hoping that she did not realize that he was a little shy.

"Can you lean closer please?" she asked him. He leaned forward and her head came up a little and she kissed his cheek. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has done for me, ever," she said, laying her head back down on the pillow.

Jack felt a warmth flow through him. He had not felt this way since his mother had last hugged him. He leaned back with a small smile on his face.

"By the way," Jenifer asked again. "How did you know my name?"

"The doctor told me when I brought you in twelve hours ago," he said looking at her. She closed her eyes, and he knew she must be tired. "I'm going to go now and let you get some rest. I'll visit again tomorrow morning."

"No," she said strongly. He stopped and looked at her. "Please stay," she said softly. "I don't want to be alone again. I was a prisoner for nearly a month."

Jack smiled. "No problem." He then sat back down in the chair next to the bed. "Lights off." The room fell into darkness and Jack closed his eyes. He felt something brush his sleeve and then her paw grabbed his. He smiled again, and fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Jack woke the next morning to sun shining in his eyes. He looked over at Jenifer, who was still asleep, and then looked down. He smiled as he realized that they were still holding one another's paws. He carefully set her paw back on the bed, got up, closed the blinds so the sun was not directly on her face, then left the room.

He walked down the hallway and made a right. Arriving at the nurse's desk, he asked if Jenifer was allowed to have breakfast from the cafeteria. She said it was alright, and gave him directions. He arrived a couple minutes later just as it was opening up. He placed an order of two eggs, a slice of toast, and 2 links of sausage for the both of them. When they were ready he carried them back up to the room, hoping that she might be awake.

Sure enough, when he entered the room, she was just starting to stir. He set down the breakfast, closed the door, and said, "Lights 50". The lights came on to the adjusted setting. He pulled the table to her bed, set both trays of food on it, and then sat down himself. He saw her black nose twitch slightly as she smelled the breakfast. She then yawned and slowly sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned again before seeing Jack. She smiled.

"Good morning," he said to her. "I brought us some breakfast. I hope you like eggs." He pointed to the two trays on the table.

"That's so sweet of you," she said to him. "I love eggs. I didn't get any real food in that prison except for stale bread and water, and they fed me only once a day." She turned slightly so that she faced the table and pulled a tray closer to her.

Before they began to eat, Jack said, "I'm sorry about what you went through. I feel partially responsible."

"How can you?" Jenifer asked, taking a small bite of egg. You never knew me until you found me in that dump and I never knew you until I woke up last night."

Jack looked down at his tray and sighed. "My brother is the leader of those pirates." Seeing the expression on her face, he quickly added, "You don't have to worry, I'm nothing like him. He's mentally sick. He has been ever since I was sixteen."

"Well, it's not your fault. You can't control what he does, so I don't blame you. How old are you?" Jenifer asked.

"Twenty four," replied Jack.

"Wow. It was that long ago? What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

When I was sixteen my brother, Alec, was at college, and we were on our way to watch his last football game of the season. My parents were killed when our car exploded at a gas station. I was half way across the parking lot on my way back to it when it happened. Two days later, I found out that the explosion was not an accident. My brother had hired someone to plant a bomb on the car that was set to go off with me in it, but it didn't work."

"I blindly lived with my brother in my parents' house until he was old enough to move out and get his own place. Just before my senior year was to begin, the house was torched. There was a note on the front gate from Alec. It was he who had started the fire. He also admitted to hiring someone to plant the bomb on the car as well. He had tried to get rid of me, and did not care that he had killed our parents instead. So I dropped out of school and became a mercenary so he could not find me through my job. I've been keeping an eye out for him ever since. That's why I carry this everywhere I go, in case I find him," he said, pointing to the blaster on his belt. "I plan to go back to school this year and finish up my senior year."

He looked up at Jenifer. She had stopped eating. Her face was covered in sorrow and shock. "I'm so sorry," she said. "It seems that we both had a traumatic childhood."

"What happened to you?"

"When I was just a baby, my parents were held in a hostage situation," she began. "I was at my grandparents' house then. A Venom fanatic had entered the building they worked in and threatened to blow it up if he didn't get what he wanted. The police tried to set a trap, but he caught on and blew up the entire place. No one inside survived. That was so long ago, and here I am now, twenty two years old."

Tears began to form in her eyes. Jack held her paw in his to help calm her. She continued with her story. "When I started school, my grandparents were very poor, and could not afford the best clothes for me. I was always teased at school because of what I wore and nobody wanted to be my friend." She looked up at him. "You're the first friend I've really ever had."

"I only have one other friend," Jack said. "And I rarely see him because he works in a mine. You're basically the only real friend I have, too."

They continued their breakfast. Afterwards, Jack insisted that she get some rest. After Jenifer was asleep, he went to talk to the nurse to see when she was allowed to leave. The nurse told him that it would be ok for her to leave the next day. He went back to Jenifer's room and sat down. When she woke up an hour later, he told her what he had learned.

"That's a relief," she said. "But I don't have anywhere to stay. The company I worked for provided housing for the employees, but I don't want o work for them anymore. I don't have any living relatives either."

Jack thought for a moment. "You could stay with me at my house, if you want. I have a guest bedroom that I don't use."

"Oh no. I couldn't possibly…," Jenifer said. "I don't want to impose."

"No. It's ok. I don't mind," retorted Jack. "I'm a mercenary, and I just got paid a fortune for infiltrating and blowing up that station. You don't have to worry about paying me back."

"It just dawned on me that I still don't know your name," she said.

"Oh, yeah," Jack replied, embarrassed. "I'm Jack Thunder."

"Jenifer Reynolds. Pleased to meet you, Jack." She held out her paw, and they shook. "But you can call me Jen, for short."

"Well, Jen, it would be my honor to have you stay with me as my guest for however long you need."

"I would like that very much." Jen said.


End file.
